Can enforcement of underage drinking laws be bad for a community?
I think the law treats young people badly by strictly enforcing drinking age limits. I was brought up in Britain where the age limit was 18 and not strictly enforced. Mostly we drank in civilised surroundings where there was some supervision; pubs which offered food, soft drinks and facilities for families. Here in NZ they’ve only recently lowered the drinking age to 18 and some wowsers want to raise it again. Like most sensible parents I supplied my underage kids and their friends with liquor and mostly they drank it at home without incident. It’s the kids who are forced to drink at unsupervised beach parties who get into trouble, mostly as a result of drink driving.
